Cloth-clamp for textile machinery.



N0. 629,74I. I Patented July 25, I899.

A. W. BUTTERWORTH. v

CLOTH CLAMP FOR TEXTILE MACHINERY.

(Application filed Mar. 27, 1899.)

;No Model.)

INVENTCR ATTORNEY.

WITNESSES:

THE NORRIS vETERs ca, PHOYCHJTHOH WASNINGTDN. n. c.

Nrrnn STATES PATENT FFIGE,

ALBERT W. BUTTERIVORTI-I, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE H.- VV. BUTTERWORTH & SONS COMPANY, OF PENNSYLVANIA.

CLOTH-CLAMP FOR TEXTILE MACHINERY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent Nd. 629,741, dated July 25, 1899.

Application filed March 27, 1899.

T0 aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT W. BUTTER- WORTH, of Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented an Improvementin Cloth-Clamps for Textile Machinery, of which the following is a specification.

My invention has reference to cloth-clamps for textile machinery; and it consists of certain improvements which are fully set forth in the following specification and shown in the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof.

My invention comprehends more particularlyimprovements in automatic cloth-clamps for tentering-machines; and it consists, essentially, of a pair of gripping-jaws for the cloth, one of which is fixed and the other movable and spring-actuated, combined with a control-' ling-finger pivoted to the rear of the fixed jaw and having its forward end sustained by the cloth before the gripping action takes place and connected with a rearwardly-extending arm from the movable jaw, the construction being such that "the pivoted jaw in being moved under the ordinary cam actions of the'machine raises or lowers the controlling-finger, and, on the other hand, the controlling-finger sustains the movable jaw out of action when released from the Game of the machine until the cloth is moved to liberate the said controlling-finger. In this construction the controlling-finger not only sustains the gravity action of the gripping-jaw, but also opposes the spring action thereof and through the leverage permitted by the special connections a very slight pressure on the free end of the controlling-finger will sustain a very great spring-pressure upon the movable jaw without defective action upon the cloth. In this manner the lightest fabrics can be manipulated with a quick-acting grippingjaw with a resulting improvement in the operation of the machine. More specially considered, the controlling-finger is pivoted independently of the gripping-j aw and its movable arm or finger proper is guided between two rearwardly-extending arms from the gripping-jaw, so that a strong yet light connec= tion is made and the controlling-finger is fully Serial No. 710,568. (No model.)

protected against being bent or injured when the jaw is fully raised, as when inserting the cloth, and, furthermore, the said construction permits the controlling-finger to be elevated to a considerable height, since there is no objstruction in its path.

My invention will be better understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of a cloth-clamp 6o embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of same, and Fig. 3 is a plan. View of same.

A is one of the links of the chain, whereby a number of these clamps may be connected end to end.

B is the fixed jaw, integral with the link, and is provided at the rear with overhanging arms O. Pivoted to the free ends of the arms 0 on a transverse rod (1 is the movable jaw D, the lower or gripping edge of which swings in the arc of a circle to or from the fixed jaw B. This movable jaw D is moved by suitable cams in the machine (not shown) operating on the upwardly-extended arm E and by a spring F, adapted to force the jaws together. The spring F is coiled around the rod (1 and the ends are hooked upon the arms 0, while the middle portion of the spring is extended and adapted to operate upon the jaw D. This spring may be arranged in any other suitable manner or be of any suitable construction. The rear side of the movable jaw D is provided with two arms G, forming between them a slot or clearance-space, and the free ends of the said arms are connected by a transverse pin K.

H is acontrolling-finger and is made of less thickness than the space between the arms G G, so as to be able to have free play between them. At its rear end it is provided with an extended hub pivoted at I between the two arms 0 O of the fixed jaw. By having an extended bearin g at this point the controlling-finger H is moved in a vertical plane and without friction against the arms G. The controlling-finger H is furthermore provided with a slot J, through which the pin K on the arms G passes. In this manner the movable jaw and the controlling-finger are hinged together at a point between their two axes of h ger will be raised upward and be received and protected between the arms G, and, on the other hand, if the end h of the controllingfinger be sustained by a fabric Lthe pin K cannot be moved downward, and hence the jaw D is held in an elevated position, as indicated in Fig. 2, so as to be ready to instantly grip the fabric at the selvage thereof the moment the said fabric is drawn from under the end of the finger h. It will be observed that as the distance of the pin K from the axis 01 is very great and as the leverage of the controlling-finger H is very great (being proportional to the two distances I H and J K) it is apparent that the thinnest of fabrics will have sufiicient strength to sustain the movable jaw D out of gripping position even when a very powerful spring F is employed to make it quick acting when released. By employing improvements of this character in the gripping-jaws it is evident that the movable jaw maybe made to grip the cloth very close to the selvage and avoids any possibility of the jaw D not acting quickly enough to insure the gripping of the cloth under these conditions. I

It is evident that the minor details or design of the clamp may be modified without departing from the essential features of the invention.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a cloth-clamp for textile machines the combination of a fixed jaw having an overhanging-arm structure, a movable jaw pivoted thereto and having a rearwardly-extend ing arm, a spring acting upon the movable jaw to force it toward the fixed jaw, and a controlling-finger pivoted to the rear part of the fixed jaw and having a forwardly-projecting part adapted to be sustained by the cloth resting on the fixed jaw and having a loose but positive connection with the rearwardlyextending arm of the movable jaw at a point between its pivoted connection and its free or movable end sustained by the cloth where by the controlling-finger holds the spring out of action when the cloth is under said finger, and the spring quickly snaps the movable jaw down upon the cloth when released.

2. In a cloth-clamp for textile machines the combination of a fixed jaw having an over hanging-arm structure, a movable jaw pivoted thereto and having a rearwardly-extend= in g arm consisting of two parallel parts forming a slot between them, a spring acting upon the movable jaw to force it toward the fixed jaw, and a controlling-finger pivoted tothe rear part of the fixed jaw and having a 01 wardly-proj ectin g part extending through the slot formed by the parallel parts on the movable jaw and adapted to be sustained by the cloth resting on the fixed jaw and also having a loose but positive connection with the rearwardly extending arm of the movable jaw at a point between its pivoted connection and its free or movable end sustained by the cloth said connection consisting of a pin extending across the slot of the rearwardly-extending arms of the movable jaw and a slot in the controlling-finger through which said pinpasses.

In testimony of which invention I have hereunto set my hand.

ALBERT W. BUTTER\VORTH.

\Vitn esses:

R. M. HUNTER, J. W. KENWORTHY. 

